Most people don't know, and don't really care, as long as it goes away - and stays far away from their home. But county governments all across Florida have a dirty little secret they are hiding from the pubic that causes big problems for the Florida waterways, lakes and estuaries - Your discarded dried-up poop get's put along the permitter of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades National Park.

The processed human waste is politely called a 'biosolid' but many scientists consider it a biohazard. It's commonly referred to as Sewage Sludge.

Sewage sludge is the solid waste material that is left over after the contents of all of the toilets in a county gets flushed into a 'treatment facility' where it's separated into either a solid or a liquid. The leftover liquid usually gets pumped back into the local waterways, but the poo is a problem.

It smells bad, it attracts insects and it contains many harmful heavy metals and nutrients that have been attributed to causing disease, green algae blooms - and Valley Fever.Most municipalities export their human waste to another county, or state, to get it out of their own back yard.

Former Florida Department of Environmental Protection administrator for Martin County, Gary Roderick, considers the sewage sludge to be the largest contributor to Indian River Lagoon pollution. Roderick said, "This is like a sleeping giant that's causing a silent scream in the lagoon. It's the 5,000-pound gorilla that's not saying anything right in the middle of the room. Spreading sludge on rural lands may pose a long-term risk for the lagoon and other Florida waterways. While it's uncertain how much nitrogen and phosphorus from sludge reach the lagoon, the amount could be significant. Read More.

Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of The Post Chronicle. Since we offer our product free of charge, we run banner advertising in order to cover the operating costs of delivering the material. Read More HereDMCA Policy HerePrivacy Policy Here